Going on Vacation? Leave Your Home Safe with These Tips

Keeping your home safe while you’re away on vacation.

It’s Murphy’s Law for travelers: If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong while you’re on vacation. Coming home from your fun summer vacation to find that you’ve been robbed or your home has suffered a disaster can quickly undo all of that relaxation you worked so hard to do. Before you pack your bags and head to the airport, check out these home security tips.

Ask a friend for help.

­Ask a friend or a trusty neighbor to keep an eye on your home while you’re away. Give this person a key so that he or she can bring your mail in, water your plants, and occasionally park their car on the driveway. This helps to give the impression that someone is home – which helps to deter thieves.

Don’t tip off criminals on the web.

It can seem tempting to post your plans online and share pictures from your scuba diving experience with your Facebook friends, but wait until you’re home! You don’t want any criminals seeing that you are at the airport about to head on vacation. Be careful what you say on your answering machine or voicemail, too. Callers don’t need to know that you are not home.

Light it up.

Don’t leave your lights on at home throughout your entire vacation. Instead, install timers on a few lights so that they automatically turn on and off at different times during the day. Criminals keeping an eye on your house will notice lights flipping on and off, and will probably assume that someone is home to do so.

Unplug.

Unplug all electronics and appliances that aren’t in use before you go away. Not only will you save on electricity costs, but you will protect your appliances from electrical surges if one happens in your area while you’re away. If you’re only going away for a few days, keep the freezer and refrigerator plugged in. If you’re going away for a while, clear both of these appliances out, unplug them, and leave the doors slightly ajar to leave an airflow.

Ensure that your home stays well-protected with the right home insurance. Visit Tompkins Insurance Agencies for help securing homeowners insurance to suit your needs.